This Time Around, Again
by Damagoed
Summary: Lucius is now Luke, his past is buried and he is enjoying his new life. And then someone else who should be buried shows up. Because the past is only in the next room. Is there really such a thing as a second chance?
1. Chapter 1

The thing Lucius Malfoy missed most from his previous existence was not the money, or the big house, or the power and position. The thing he really missed was his hair. He had got used to muggle clothes and food, and television and even having a job. But he had never quite got used to having his formerly flowing locks cropped short against his head. He ran his fingers through what was left of his now white hair and smiled at the waitress who had brought him his coffee and a toasted ham and cheese Panini. She smiled back at him and blushed slightly. Even with his butchered hair he was still very attractive.

The University bookstore was his favourite place to eat. There was a lively mix of students, lecturers and academics all enjoying conversation, books and coffee. In some ways it reminded him of the Leaky Cauldron. Not that he'd ever spent much time there. But now he was no longer Lucius Malfoy. He was Luke Balfour, Dr. Balfour. Lecturer in Art and Architecture at St. Bartholomew's University in the Home Counties. And he was very good. Surprisingly good in fact.

When he looked up again from his book on Cathedral Architecture the lunch time crowd had thinned out a little. A few students were sat at the table behind his, comparing notes and discussing their classes and whether a girl called Amanda had actually got off with someone called Martin or not. And the relevant merits of the aforementioned Martin. A man he recognised as one of the professors in the English department was busily marking essays and surreptitiously adding whisky to his coffee when he thought no one was looking. And then in the corner a man Lucius had never seen in the bookstore before.

The man was sat quietly, his head bowed over a book, plain wire rimmed glasses perched on his nose. When he stood up he would be tall, and he looked broad and well built, his hair was light brown and although it was cut short, flopped forward across his face. He was drinking a large cup of something frothy and there was a half eaten piece of sticky chocolate cake on the table as well. Lucius thought there was something very familiar about the man. Something about his aura that made what was left of his hair stand on end.

The man stood, Lucius watched from behind his book. Yes he was tall, and as he pulled his leather jacket on over his black sweater there was the distinct outline of large arm muscles and a bit of a belly. He switched his reading glasses to a pair of the same but with tinted lenses and packed the book on Organic chemistry he had been reading into a leather messenger bag. It was the walk that gave him away. That upright, shoulders back stride, that made no noise. He paused at the counter to pay his bill and smiled at the girl on the till.

"See you next week Alex." He smiled again and said something in a low voice barely more than a whisper, before exiting into the cold world outside. Lucius was convinced it was him. But that was impossible. Without thinking he stood and followed, the icy blast of winter hitting him as soon as he opened the door. He looked into the crowd outside. But Severus Snape had disappeared, like the ghost he should have been.

"Are you all right Luke?" Sophie, his waitress, looked concerned.

"Yes. Sorry. That man who just left?"

"Alex? I'm surprised you've not seen him in here before. He's one of the Chemistry research fellows. He's quite a dish isn't he?" Lucius realised he must be being terribly obvious.

"He reminds me of someone I used to know. Someone I haven't seen for a very long time. A whole lifetime ago in fact."

"Well Alex has been here for a couple of years I think. He was very ill before he came here, something to do with his throat, might have been some type of throat cancer? He's got a really horrible scar." Yes he would have. If it was him "He's usually in on Wednesdays. That's when we get the new cake delivered."

Lucius smiled. The thought of Severus Snape making a special trip to get cake was just ridiculous. Severus didn't even like cake. But Lucius made a mental note to make sure he was around next Wednesday.


	2. Chapter 2

A week had passed and Lucius had begun to think it was all in his imagination. Wishful thinking. He had of course made discreet enquiries. There was indeed a Dr. Alexander Beeson in the Chemistry department, who according to rumour had survived a rather terrible car crash in which his wife and children were killed. The truck he had been unfortunate enough to hit had been carrying a load of scaffolding and Alex had ended up with one of the poles stuck in his neck, hence the scar and the damage to his vocal chords. Prior to the crash he had been an eminent lecturer at Oxford University. It seemed rather disappointingly, that Alex Beeson was real. Which meant Severus Snape must be dead.

Of course Alex Beeson was still very attractive in his own right. Although Lucius did have a small buzz of doubt in the back of his head that picking up strangers in Coffee shops was probably not dignified at his age. Then again, dignity was very over-rated. Besides Narcissa had taken all of his in the divorce.

Lucius was sat at his usual table and the Bookstore was annoyingly busy. And annoyingly devoid of intriguing strangers. Then he felt the hair on his neck stand on end.

"Excuse me? May I share your table?" The voice was low and quiet. A sore whisper. Lucius looked up and found himself looking into the dark brown, nearly black, eyes of Alex Beeson. They always said you could never change the eyes.

"Yes of course." He moved his chair a little and Alex sat down. But there was absolutely no recognition in his face. No hint that he knew who Lucius was.

"Luke Balfour. Art and Architecture." Luke was the name Severus always called him in private. That was why he had chosen it.

"Alex Beeson. Chemistry." He held out his hand. Lucius was about to speak when the waitress came over to take Alex's order.

"Hi Alex. Is it the usual?" he nodded. "And we've got some of that Sticky Toffee Cake you like." He nodded again and smiled. Severus never smiled. Not with his mouth anyway. Lucius knew he was staring. And also knew that he wasn't going to be able to make polite conversation. But he had to know, one way or the other.

Lucius had never been great at Occulamency. But good or bad, if this man was a muggle, he would never notice. Lucius whispered very quietly "Legilimens" and flicked his wand, which he always carried in his pocket, just in case.

Alex Beeson's memories were rather mundane. And mainly to do with Chemistry. Although a little further back there was a Red-haired woman and some rather cute children. And a very painful, grey rainy memory in a graveyard. Even further back was a lecture hall filled with students listening intently. But no trace, no sign of this man ever being Severus Snape.

"Do I owe you money?" Lucius carefully withdrew from Alex Beeson's head.

"I'm sorry."

"You keep staring at me."

"Oh I'm terribly sorry. I was miles away. Somehow I feel we may have met before."

"In a previous life perhaps?" That smile again. And the question tinted with sarcasm. Just how Severus used to.

"I suppose. If you believe in that sort of thing." Alex raised an eyebrow and began to eat his cake. Severus never ate cake. Hardly ate anything. By the end of it all he had been skin and bones, held up and kept going by his promises to Lily and Albus. Certainly not like this brawny stranger in front of Lucius. The dead stayed dead. And that was it.

"Same time next week then?" Lucius quipped as he finished his coffee and stood to leave.

"If you like." That was not the answer Lucius had been expecting. Nor had he been expecting the very Severus like expression in the dark calculating eyes.


End file.
